1989 30 hp water leak

[JRM80000]

I have a 1989 yamaha 30 hp which i just fired up for the first time this season. I find that it is leaking water from the two front bolts that attach the lower unit to the midsection as well as a hole in the lower unit casting just below the right front of the cavitation plate. I had it apart last fall to reseal the upper oil seals in the lower unit, but don't remember anything notable in doing so. It seems to pump water ok, but by my recollection, it might be a hair weak. I was running it with the muffs anf happened to note water coming out of the two front bolts previously mentioned. I have taken the lower unit off for inspection, but everything looks to be in order. I thought i might have lost the seal that the water tube seats into in the water pump housing, but it is still there and in servicable condition,.it looks like i'm going to have to take it off again, but i'm not really sure what i am to be looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[pstephens46]

Maybe a video would help. Water leaks out of all sorts of places on the lower while running. Never seen water pouring out of those bolt areas. How could it?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

We don't know your exact model # but click on this parts link : http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Ya...989/parts.html

You can bring up the lower unit, water pump, etc. Compare the parts in the parts diagram vs what you have. Might luck out and find something missing.

The water tube looks to be in good shape, no holes, rust?

[99yam40]

I also do not see how water could come out of bolts

[JRM80000]

Well, i'm glad the concensus is that nobody can understand how water can come out of the bolt holes. I do'n't see how it could either, but it is. As an update, I took the lower unit off again and hooked it up to the muffs. I didn't turn it on all the way as I have 90 lbs of water pressure at the house. I did turn it up moderately though, and got only slight leaking out of the top of the water pump housing where the shaft goes through and a similar very slight leak from the water pump outlet. I've never had to do that before so it's kinda hard to judge, but I'm satisfied that the very slight leaking is acceptable. I ran a rod up the water tube in the midsection and could detect no obstructions so that appears to be out.

To respond to townsends suggestion, I did look up the parts diagram and didn't see anything listed that is missing.

I think the next move will be to put it back together again and make a video of it running. If i remenber it, I'll also make a video of the lower unit hooked up to the muffs to show the slight leakage I'm referring to. It will be a day or two before I can get this done though so please bear with me.

I might add that making a video and getting it to show up on this website in the correct place will be the supreme challenge for me. You have no idea.

[cousinabe]

This happened to me once on my S225 motor.
make sure there are no cacks in the water pump housing and that it is seated correctly. also check the damper and water seals on the tube.

[pstephens46]

I also do not see how water could come out of bolts

I don’t know if every l/u bolt has a lock washer. But I would hope so.... if the correct bolt is used with washer and torqued more or less correctly....hard to imagine...

Video would be interesting

[panasonic]

Video would be nice...hard to picture water coming out around those bolts? ?

[JRM80000]

Thank you all for the replies. I have videos of what is happening, but the computer gods have decreed that they will probably remain hidden somewhere in my computer forever. I'll keep trying, but for the moment i'll describe what i have now found.

I hooked the lower unit up to the muffs ands ran the water. Same thing as described earlier. Slight leakage around the shaft and the same around the output of the pump. No other water apparent. I then put it back on the motor and ran it, but this time with the motor in the up or trailering position. Now I can see that the water is running out where the lower unit meets the midsection and then running down to the bolts underneath giving it the appearance that it is leaking from the bolt holes. At the same time, water is coming out the pee hole normally. That leads me to believe the water pump is somehow pumping water into the lower unit housing which then fills up until it leaks out the joint between the lower unit housing and the midsection. What is puzzling is that no such water appeared when I tested the lower unit with the muffs before putting it back on the engine. In other words, I found no leakage on bench testing the lower unit with the muffs other than the minor leaks around the drive shaft and the pump outlet. When I put the lower unit on this outboard, I use sections of threaded rod placed in the bolt holes on the midsection to line up the lower unit foe easy assembly so it's not a matter of improper alignment. My only thought is that the water pipe in the midsection has somehow moved up towards the powerhead and is not completely engaged in the water pump outlet. I don't know if that is even possible as it feels very secure as it is. The alternative conclusion is that what I am seeing is completely normal, but it bothers me. The engine is not getting hot, but it is being run at low rpm without any appreciable load either.

Any thoughts?

[JRM80000]

For some reason the website keeps deferring my response to the moderator because it thinks it is spam. There will be an update shorthy after it is cleared by the moderator. In the meantime thank you all for your interest and help.

[JRM80000]

After many hours, i am able to post one of the videos. This one is with the engine up and running. You can see the water running from the joint between the lower unit and the midsection. It then runs to the underside and drips off of the bolts attaching the lower unit, making it appear the leak is from the bolt holes. It is not. The water is coming from the joint. I might try to add the other two videos, but don't hold your breath.

[pstephens46]

Good first try on video. Put the motor down as close to level as you can. Get closer. We can’t see much at this angle and distance. Prop spinning in neutral not a big deal. Jam it with a piece of wood if it bothers you. Just for the video. Or is it in reverse? Or are you in Australia? Damn....

[JRM80000]

Please see post number 9 for an update as to current findings.

[pstephens46]

Please see post number 9 for an update as to current findings.

Was the engine in gear in reverse? Or am I hallucinating?

[JRM80000]

NEITHER. UNTIL i GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED, i HAVEN'T BOTHERED ADJUSTING THE SHIFT LINKAGE. IT WAS IN FORWARD i BERLIEVE, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE REVERSE. I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON GETTING TWO MORE VIDEOS DOWNLOADED, BUT MY SON HASN'T DONE IT YET. THEY SHOULD BE SHOWING UP FAIRLY SOON. I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO ALL THIS COMPUTER STUFF. AS SOON AS I FIGURE IT OUT, THEY CHANGE EVERYTHING AND I'M BACK TO SQUARE ONE. WINDOWS 10 HAS DONE ME IN.

ANYHOW, I'M LEANING TOWARDS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE WATER TUBE FROM THE PUMP TO THE POWERHEAD HAS MOVED UP TOWARDS THE POWERHEAD RESULTING IN A POOR SEAL AT THE WATERPUMP. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS EVEN POSSIBLE THOUGH. ANY IDEA IF THAT IS POSSIBLE?